The present invention relates to non-spinning projectiles and in particular to a projectile having a tapered body and an underside shaped to produce shock waves that produce compression lift.
The supersonic and hypersonic aerodynamics of vehicles having on their underside a pair of outwardly extending surfaces and edges, have been previously studied. Such a known vehicle produces a shock wave upon which the vehicle rides. This phenomenon, sometimes referred to as a "wave-rider" phenomenon, has been considered by the prior art.
Known projectiles generally employ an axially symmetric shape. This shape produces a shock wave which bears symmetrically around the perimeter of the projectile. Consequently, the shock wave does not produce any net force or lift. Therefore, the trajectory of such an axially symmetrical projectile is ballistic and the projectile's maximum range is thus limited to what may be determined by the conventional mathematics of ballistics.